Parallel lay Kevlar.RTM. ropes have been proposed for use as mooring lines for tension leg platforms. For this type of rope construction, two terminations are usually used, a cone and spike type and a potted termination. The termination is usually large in size and is fabricated of metal causing a large change in bending stiffness betweeen termination and the rope. Any uncontrolled movement of the termination during handling and installation imposes a large bending of the rope end near the termination. Since Kevlar.RTM. lacks high strength in compression, bending causing kinking of the fibers results in a major reduction of the rope strength.
It is desirable to provide a termination for kinkable ropes such as Kevlar.RTM. where the rope would be free to rotate and to move laterally whereby kinking of the rope would not occur.